Correct. I was looking for the buns to make the rolls at home and I did see that post. Cant imagine driving over an hour to Redwood city for hot dog buns. Guess I will need to improvise with some type of soft roll instead of a hot dog bun. Ive checked Whole foods, Diablo foods, Lunardi, Safeway, Trader Joes and several bakeries with no luck.

I am a fan of Petras, but usually eat there for lunch. I was quite disappointed with Bonfire, and would not go back. I dont know where you live but in my opinion the best take out pizza in the immediate area comes from Lamorinda Pizza in Rheem (Moraga) near the theater. Not bad at all for a local takeout joint. There is also Paxti's in Lafayette.

While Napa clearly has the highest profile restaurants and the most diversity, dont overlook the fact that Healdsburg has become quite a food destination of its own with Cyrus, Barndiva, Dry Creek Kitchen, Madrona Manor and many others. Last week I had a fabulous meal at Scopa on the main square. Healdsburg is very close to Santa Rosa if you use that as a base and much less congested than Napa. It is also centered between 3 great wine regions the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek, and the Alexander Valley.

I don't know if they are the best in the city, but I give a big shout out to the baked pork buns from Sunset Bakery at 9th ave and Judah. I have been going there for years and still crave them whenever I am in that area.

For a good general butcher shop with good prices I like Lunardis. Prices are quite reasonable. I do alot of home smoking and tend to get most meat from Costco including whole chickens, salmon, ribs and sometimes boneless pork butt. Bone in pork butt can also be obtained cheaply from Safeway usually. I have bought whole briskets in a bag with intact fat cap from Lunardis, but I have also seen them cheaper at Costco at times. Trimmed briskets are good at Costco, but not ideal for a long smoke. I also get turkey legs from Lunardis which I love to smoke. Still looking for great beef ribs. I am often disappointed with the available (often pre frozen) ribs available.

This year I bought a prebrined and seasoned Fra Mani Diestel turkey from Costco $3.39 a pound. It was great. Flavorful and moist and not at all salty. In prior years I would buy a Diestel turkey from Lunardis and salt it or brine it myself. This turkey was better and so much easier. I will be looking for it again next year for sure!

Looking for fresh hand pulled noodles in the East Bay, preferably Oakland/Berkeley. I was in Vancouver recently and was at a noodle shop where you could watch the chef pull the noodles and boil them fresh for each order. He was also hand making green onion cakes. It was a great show and delicious. I would love to find a similar place here if it exists.

Stopped by last night. I ordered a 3 way combo with ribs, brisket and hot links with hot sauce on the side. With a side of roasted garlic potatoes the meal was $18 and enough food for 2 unless you want to "pig out". The meat was all great. The brisket was tender with good smoke flavor and lots of intense bark came in the order. The ribs were good, although not my favorite part of the meal. The hot links were as good as Ive had, and the hot sauce had a very nice flavor and heat level. Also dont miss the potatoes. They cook them in the rotisserie under the roast chicken and they taste great. All in all I like this place better than others in the area like Tomms, Uncle Willies and Phat Matts.

I have eaten at Zacharys for years but after Little Star opened in Albany I decided that I prefer Little Star to Zacharys. Now Paxti's is coming to the East Bay (Lafayette) and I have friends who think that Paxti's is the best of the 3. Curious what other opinions are. Also what is the best crust option at Paxtis? On their website they list 2 kinds of deep dish: stuffed and pan pizza.

For vegetarians the charred cabbage is a must. I also strongly suggest the sauteed pea shoots and the baked tofu or clay pot with tofu.

The orange chicken there is actually delicious. A thousand times better than the usual american chinese version. They also do a good walnut prawns if you are looking for something not spicy.My favorite dish there is the twice cooked fish fillet. Spicy but not too spicy and great flavor. I also love the fish soup.

San Francisco chowhound heading to Boston with mixed group. My wife is a vegetarian. Looking for a few nice lunch/dinner choices to appeal to vegetatians and meat/fish eaters. Not looking for anything too pricey or fancy. Asian restaurants not a priority as we come from SF.

I love Gather and Corso, but as stated already they may be outside your budget. I would also consider Great China for a classic Berkeley Asian experience. Review other posts for advice on what to order but absolutely dont miss the Peking Duck.

I would suggest Gather in Berkeley. I food is very good, the space modern and comfortable and there are great choices for both meat eaters and vegetarians. Share the vege charcouterie plate to start. If you dont have a reservation there are lots of spots at the bar.

Moraga really has no destination worthy restaurants. There are a few passable Chinese places, Chef Chau in the Rheem center, and Asia Palace in Moraga. Terzettos and Amoroma are okay, but uninspired.In Orinda I suggest Serika for Japanese and Petra's cafe for a Greek lunch. Avoid Casa Orinda and Amoroma Pizzaria.Your best bet is to get to Lafayette. Lily's House already mentioned. Also second Pizza Antica, Chow and Metro. Also worthy of a special trip is Bo's BBQ. Get the brisket there, its great.

Doubt Flints is coming back. I was never a fan of their meat (except for the links), but I still dream about the sauce. I wish I new how to create it myself. Does anyone know of a recipe or at least another joint with similar sauce?